The Big Book of Makerspace Projects: Inspiring Makers to Experiment, Create, and Learn

by Colleen Graves, Aaron Graves

Overview

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Start-to-finish, fun projects for makers of all types, ages, and skill levels!

This easy-to-follow guide features dozens of DIY, low-cost projects that will arm you with the skills necessary to dream up and build your own creations. The Big Book of Makerspace Projects: Inspiring Makers to Experiment, Create, and Learn offers practical tips for beginners and open-ended challenges for advanced makers. Each project features non-technical, step-by-step instructions with photos and illustrations to ensure success and expand your imagination. You will learn recyclables hacks, smartphone tweaks, paper circuits, e-textiles, musical instruments, coding and programming, 3-D printing, and much, much more!

Discover how to create:

• Brushbot warriors, scribble machines, and balloon hovercrafts
• Smartphone illusions, holograms, and projections
• Paper circuits, origami, greeting cards, and pop-ups
• Dodgeball, mazes, and other interesting Scratch games
• Organs, guitars, and percussion instruments
• Sewed LED bracelets, art cuffs, and Arduino stuffie
• Makey Makey and littleBits gadgets
• Programs for plug-and-play and Bluetooth-enabled robots
• 3D design and printing projects and enhancements

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781259644252
Publisher:	McGraw Hill LLC
Publication date:	10/19/2016
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	225,965
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	9 - 15 Years

About the Author

Colleen Graves (Denton, TX) is a high school librarian and blogger, obsessed with Learning Commons transformations, Makerspaces, technology education, making stuff, and getting girls involved in STEM. She offers the unique perspective of starting/creating two different makerspaces and Girl STEM groups in established public schools.

Aaron Graves (Denton, TX) is a school librarian with 15 years of experience. He is a mash-up of robot geek, book lover, and tech wizard. Aaron gained his perseverance for projects through collaborative and interactive art experiences as a member of the Good/Bad Art Collective.

Table of Contents

1 An Introduction to Making and Tinkering
Sharing
Making Projects Accessible
Classroom Tips
Go Make Something!
A Note On Safety
2 Starting Small and Low Cost
Project 1: Brush Bot Warriors
Project 2: Cardboard Arena
Obstacles and Traps
Project 3: DIY Paper Clip and Brad Switches
Reusing an Existing Switch
Projects 4 and 5: Scribble Machines
Project 4: Scribble Bots
Project 5: Perfect Circle Machine with littleBits
Projects 6–8: Balloons and Straws
Project 6: Balloon Monorail
Project 7: Balloon Hovercraft
Project 8: Balloon Boats and Cars
“Make Something That Moves” Challenge
3 Smart Phone Projects
Project 9: Pepper’s Ghost
Get Smart
Project 10: Smart Phone Hologram/Illusion Challenge
Project 11: Smart Phone Projector
“Smart Stand” Challenge
4 Paper Circuits
Project 12: LED Origami
Projects 13–16: Paper Circuit Greeting Cards
Project 13: Simple Circuit Card
Project 14: Flip the Switch Card
Project 15: Parallel Circuit Card
Project 16: Disco Branched Circuit Card
Projects 17 and 18: Pop-Up Paper Circuitry Tricks
Project 17: Pull-Tab Switch
Project 18: Tiered Pull-Tab Trick
“Pop-Up Paper Circuitry Book” Challenge
5 Coding
Project 19: Getting to Know Scratch
Project 20: Scratch Maze Game
Project 21: Arduino littleBits Project—Using Ardublock
“Coding” Challenge
6 Musical Instruments
Project 22: Popsicle Stick Kazoo
Project 23: DIY Phonograph
PVC Instrument Safety Tips
Project 24: PVC Playground Pipe Organ
Shakers and Rainsticks
Project 25: Rainsticks
Project 26: One-String Guitar
Project 27: Adding a Piezo Pickup and an Audio Jack to an Existing Project
“DIY Musical Instrument” Challenge
7 Sewing Circuits: Beginner to Advanced E-Textiles
Project 28: Sewing LED Bracelets
Project 29: Wearable Art Cuff with DIY Switch
Project 30: Heavy Metal Stuffie with Lilypad Arduino
“E-Textile” Challenge
8 Makey Makey
Projects 31–33: Building Swing Switches, Fold Switches, and Pressure Sensors
Project 31: Building a Swing Switch
Project 32: Building a Fold Switch
Project 33: Building a Pressure-Sensor Switch
Project 34: Makey Makey Paper Circuit
Project 35: Marble Wall Switches
“Makey Makey Assistive Technology” Challenge
9 Coding and Programming Objects
Project 36: Programming Dash and Dot with Tickle App
Equilateral Triangle with Dash/Dot
Right Triangle with Dash and Dot
Obtuse Triangle with Dash
Project 37: Programming Triangles with Sphero and Tickle
Right Triangle with Sphero
Project 38: Programming Triangles with Sphero and SPRK Lightning Lab
Project 39: Programming a Robot Dance Party With Tickle
Project 40: Programming with Hummingbird Robotics and Snap!
“App-Smashing Programming” Challenge
10 littleBits
Project 41: Robot Arms and Moving Gates
Project 42: Flashing Rainbow Lamp or Tunnel
Project 43: Classic Miniature Golf Windmill
“How Does __ Work? And Can I Make My Own?” Challenge
11 3D Printing
Project 44: Designing for Makey Makey—Earth Bracelet
Project 45: Designing for Littlebits—Wheels and Pulleys for a DC Motor
Project 46: DIY Phonograph Top
Project 47: Sphero Paddles
“3D Printing” Challenge
12 Mixing It All Together
Project 48: Adding a Makey Makey Go Switch and littleBits Audio to a Smart Phone Projector
Project 49: littleBits Makey Makey Confetti Catapult Photo Finish
Project 50: Musical Paper Circuits with Makey Makey Go
Project 51: littleBits Sphero Smart Track
“Makerspace Mash-Up Fun” Challenge
Appendix
Index

Editorial Reviews

04/01/2017
Equal parts guide and inspirational tome, this volume fills a gap in the existing maker literature as a one-stop source for easily achievable, clearly described classroom projects. The authors present 51 tried and tested activities with concise instructions and clear photos. Each entry contains insightful tips for classroom use to ensure that novice and expert maker librarians alike will be able to lead students with confidence. The book effectively incorporates both projects requiring pricey materials (Sphero robots, Makey Makey kits) and those necessitating supplies that many libraries will already have on hand (balloon hovercrafts, Popsicle stick kazoos). Libraries with an existing maker space and a budget to accrue additional materials will find the equipment-intensive projects far more achievable than will libraries with limited funds. Both authors teach in high school settings, but some projects are suitable for younger makers; middle and even upper elementary school students could certainly tackle some of the more difficult projects with a supportive teacher-librarian at the helm. The Graveses also include hashtags and their social media account information to encourage project sharing and maker community building. VERDICT Librarians clamoring for a maker guidebook will appreciate this much-needed resource full of projects for almost all levels.—Amy M. Laughlin, Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT

School Library Journal